1. Field
The present disclosure relates to processors and more particularly to debugging using a graphic processing unit (GPU) centric debug core.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide heterogeneous computing environments in which systems incorporate specialized processing capabilities, such as those exposed from multi-core central processing unit (CPUs) capabilities and discrete graphics processing unit (GPU) capabilities for graphics processing and mathematically intensive computations.
An Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) type processor is one example of a processor which can provide an integrated heterogeneous computer environment. An APU type processor is a processor that combines the advantages of a CPU and a GPU, usually within a single integrated circuit. The APU family of processors avail able under the trade designation Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Fusion processors are examples of APU type processors.
One challenge associated with an APU type processor relates to the level of complexity from such an APU type processor. Such a level of complexity presents challenges for designers and developers to create efficient high performance systems that operate as expected between multiple contexts. For example, software developers extensively depend on debugging capabilities of their development platforms to enable the developers to track unexpected behavior and system level crashes normally caught by CPU exceptions and traps. However, with the advent of APU type processors, it would be desirable to provide additional levels of debugging capabilities.